ADEX 2017: Hanwha Unveils K200 Multi Purpose Vehicle Upgrade Plan


At ADEX 2017, the International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition currently held in Seoul, South Korea, local company Hanwha Defense Systems unveiled an upgrade project for the K200 tracked infantry fighter vehicle.


Hanwha K200A1 Multipurpose Vehicle ROK Army ADEX 2017 1K200 Multi-purpose vehicle upgrade


The project doesn't follow a request from the ROK Army but is being fully funded by Hanwha. According to the company, there are over 2000 K200 IFV still in possesion of the army. Hanwha's proposed upgrade would consist in turning the IFV into a modular, multi-purpose tracked vehicle. To achieve this, the chassis would be stretched (a pair of wheels would be added (from 5 pairs on the K200 to 6 pairs) and the back of the IFV would removed and modified into a flat cargo bed. Various modules could then be fitted on the back of the multi purpose K200 vehicle, and be swaped depending on the mission.

At ADEX 2017, Hanwha Defense Systems was showing four examples of possible configurations:
- Ambulance module
- Fuel tank module
- Minelayer module
- Communication module

According to an engineer talking to us at the show, it would take the company just two years for the project to be fully mature and to start modifying K200 chassis, should the ROK Army give their go ahead.


Hanwha K200A1 Multipurpose Vehicle ROK Army ADEX 2017 2Modified K200 Multi Purpose Vehicles with Ambulance module


Hanwha K200A1 Multipurpose Vehicle ROK Army ADEX 2017 3Modified K200 Multi Purpose Vehicles with fuel tank module


Hanwha K200A1 Multipurpose Vehicle ROK Army ADEX 2017 4Modified K200 Multi Purpose Vehicles with mine layer module


Hanwha K200A1 Multipurpose Vehicle ROK Army ADEX 2017 5Modified K200 Multi Purpose Vehicles with communication module